Sat, Mar 19, 2022
India Rakusen journeys into the womb with Dr Dornu Lebari, and Dr Jackie Maybin. They peel back the layers and meet the fallopian tubes, ovaries, cervix and the endometrium. India is also joined by Dr Elinor Cleghorn to discuss the ancient theories of wandering wombs, evil uterus' and the myths that surround the womb in history.
Sat, Mar 19, 2022
On day two of the period, India Rakusen carries listeners through the bleeding part of the period from the hormones, to the reason we bleed and the stigma surrounding it with Dr Jackie Maybin. India also meets a retired police officer who's life and health was directly impacted from living with heavy bleeding.
Sat, Mar 19, 2022
This is about period pain and endometriosis. India also discusses period poo's and prostaglandins with Dr Katy Vincent. India also meets Phoebe who lives with endometriosis and Dr Andrew Horne who researches the condition. They discuss the impact and symptoms of endometriosis, and the medical data bias that causes long diagnosis times.
Sat, Mar 19, 2022
India and the author of Period Power, Maisie Hill, discuss the best way to manage and interact with your cycle. Specifically looking at the bleed, or rather the season 'winter', Maisie offers advice, tips and tricks on how to unlock the superpowers of your cycle. As well as how best to avoid the dangers that lurk in the experience of winter.
Sat, Mar 19, 2022
Ever heard of bears eating people who were on their period? Maybe sharks eating menstruating swimmers? These sort of myths are everywhere. India is joined by Caroline Byrd who's job was lost due to a myth of blood and bears. Dr. Elinor Cleghorn takes listeners all the way back to the mediaeval ages to root out the beginning of these myths and Dr Anita Mitra gives the low down on the textures and appearance of period blood.
Sat, Mar 19, 2022
Joined by Alec Mills, Chella Quint and Dr Camilla Rotsvik, India investigates the impact of images on the way women feel about their periods. From menstrual shame to scented tampons, India assesses the images that have appeared across 100 years of period product advertising shaping menstrual taboo. India also considers the adverts and artists pushing the boundaries and revolutionsing menstrual images.
Sat, Mar 19, 2022
India introduces the series to oestrogen, the hormone of sass, sex and energy. Dr Jackie Maybin explains the role of oestrogen in preparing the body for ovulation and Dr. Sarah Hill explains her research on the effect of oestrogen on the brain. Maisie Hill also pops in with some tips for Spring.
Sat, Mar 19, 2022
For years the female body in athletic performance has gone understudied, until recently. India meets Richard Burden from the English Institute of Sport who is researching the effect of hormones on female performance whilst also building key technology in the field to do onsite hormone testing. India is also joined by GB pentathlon athlete Jess Varley who is part of this research and who has tailored her training around her menstrual cycle to reap extraordinary results.
Sat, Mar 19, 2022
This is all about the experiences across life that can shape how women view their cycle - particularly the first bleed. India is joined by author and creatrix Lisa Lister who tells a story of empowerment. Along the way India chats to a tropical island resident called Nirai and a refugee named Marie who is struggling with period poverty.
Sat, Mar 19, 2022
The world of tracking apps has grown in the last decade, but where does all that data go? India speaks to the Chief Medical Officer of Clue, Dr Lynae Brayboy about the importance of tracking periods, and the link between tracking apps and research. Later, India is joined by Eva Blum-Dumontet, a Senior Policy Advisor on Artificial Intelligence at Royal Society who formerly carried out key research into data and tracking apps. Eva offers a word of warning over the type of data these apps ask for.
Sat, Mar 19, 2022
Professor Richard Legro, Chair of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, at Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, Pennsylvania, tells his story of attempting to test the effectiveness of sildenafil (aka Viagra) to treat period pain. Ultimately unsuccessful - but not because it didn't work - but rather the people with the money didn't think it was important enough. India is also joined by Dr Elinor Cleghorn, author of Unwell Women: A Journey Through Medicine and Myth in a Manmade World. She tells her story of being diagnosed with the chronic illness Lupus. The pair discuss the origins of hysteria, with a particular focus on the myth that black females have a greater insensitivity to pain.
Sat, Mar 19, 2022
It's day 13 of the cycle and India rides the first oestrogen wave and chats all things cervical mucus with the Gynae Geek Dr Anita Mitra from its texture to its many functions. Maisie Hill, author of Period Power, also joins India to discuss ovulation, the season 'Summer' and how to manage it.
Sat, Mar 19, 2022
On day 15 of the cycle, India looks at fertility and the process of trying to conceive - and explores the tragic reality that not all pregnancies are successful. Dr Dornu Lebari takes listeners through a fertility consultation, and discusses the stigma that surrounds reproductive health. Dame Lesley Regan speaks with India about early miscarriage.
Sat, Mar 19, 2022
India and Dr Anita Mitra discuss the causes and symptoms of Premenstrual Stress (PMS), and Maisie Hill offers up advice for PMS in the autumn season of the cycle. You'll also hear from two women who live with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) and explore the reality of the condition.
Sat, Mar 19, 2022
The perimenopause is a challenging time for many women but there is help and there are ways you can prepare. India sits down with her mum to discuss her own transition to menopause. And listeners hear from Dr Marion Gluck and Dr Radhika Vohra to discuss the history and role of HRT in treating perimenopausal symptoms.
Sat, Mar 19, 2022
India meets with the founder and director of Chem Trust, Elizabeth Salter Green, and Shruthi Mahalingaiah Assistant who is a Professor of Environmental Reproductive and Women's Health at the Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health, to discuss the implication of modern day synthetic chemicals on the menstrual cycle and the natural world.
Sat, Mar 19, 2022
You'll find India at the top of the cliffs of Folkestone in South East England to meet a group of women who swim under the light of the full moon. Meanwhile. on the other side of the world in Australia, the coral of the Great Barrier Reef is spawning to coincide with the full moon. Professor Oren Levy of Marine Biology at Bar Ilan University talks through this wonder.
Sat, Mar 19, 2022
India meets performance physiologist Dr Stacy Sims who offers key advice on how best to tailor your eating and exercise routine to certain points of your cycle whether you're a regular cycling women, experiencing the menopause or on hormonal contraception. They also discuss data bias in the diet and exercise world.
Sun, Mar 20, 2022
How long is too long for a menstrual cycle? And what can be the causes of irregular periods? India talks to Dr Anita Mitra and Dr Dornu Lebari about what's 'normal' as well as the hormonal imbalance that arises from the condition polycystic ovary syndrome. India also finds out about some unusual animal cycles.
Sun, Mar 20, 2022
India considers the role of the femcare industry in perpetuating menstrual stigma and single use products with Chris Bobel, an Associate Professor of Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston and Co-Editor of the Critical Guide to Menstruation. Listeners also meet Dr Sharra Vostral, a Professor of History at Purdue University in Indiana, to discuss the rise of Toxic Shock Syndrome in the 1970s and 80s and how this healthcare event shaped the tampon industry today.
Sun, Mar 20, 2022
India travels back to the Victorian Age to probe at the use of the vaginal speculum and considers its link to menstrual shame and embarrassment, particularly in education. India then meets Chella Quint, founder of the Period Positive Movement, and also Professor Chris Bobel, who are the women at the forefront of revolutionising menstrual education both within school and the home.
Sun, Mar 20, 2022
Through this series they have demonstrated how inequalities in research and persistent myths about women's bodies have led to inequalities in healthcare. In this episode, India talks to someone who has the power to influence change. Dame Professor Lesley Regan has dedicated the last decade of her career to fighting for better health outcomes for women all over the world.